In the bustling heart of Beijing, a two-hour meeting took place that has sent ripples through the artificial intelligence industry. The encounter between NVIDIA's CEO, Huang Renxun, and the founder of MiniMax, Yan Junjie, was more than just a meeting; it was a deep dive into the future of AI and the innovation that is rapidly unfolding in China.
According to Tencent Technology, this pivotal discussion was scheduled after Huang Renxun's participation in the Chain Expo. The meeting was significant, as both Huang and Yan are leaders in their respective domains, each contributing to the global AI narrative. Huang praised the rapid innovation in AI technology driven by Chinese developers and entrepreneurs, with companies like MiniMax, Alibaba, and Baidu offering groundbreaking products that are shaping the industry.
Since its inception at the end of 2021, MiniMax has demonstrated formidable research and development capabilities. On June 17th, they unveiled the world's first open-source, large-scale hybrid architecture inference model, M1, surpassing the performance of DeepSeek-R1. The very next day, MiniMax broke new ground with the release of Hailuo02, a video generation tool that shattered global records for video model efficacy and cost.
MiniMax's recent accomplishments extend beyond technological milestones. The company has just closed a funding round worth nearly $300 million, propelling it to new heights. Post-funding, MiniMax's valuation has soared past $4 billion, reflecting the market's high expectations for its future. This round of financing was backed by a diverse array of investors, including listed companies, cross-fund platforms, and large state-owned capital platforms such as Shanghai State-owned Capital.
Huang Renxun, in previous media interactions, has expressed his admiration for China's passion and prowess in AI development, highlighting MiniMax's significant role in advancing the field. The recent meeting with Yan Junjie is expected to further foster collaboration and technological innovation between the two companies, infusing new energy into the global AI landscape.